Seattle’s new mayor promised a reset. Voters were told the era of disorder was coming to an end. Instead, just weeks into her term, Mayor Katie Wilson is already facing a backlash that is uniting police, community advocates, and frustrated residents across the city.
The controversy centers on a quiet but sweeping shift in how Seattle handles drug possession and public use. The policy did not come with a press conference or a public debate. It arrived in an internal email that many officers say changes everything.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes informed officers that starting January 1, all drug possession and public consumption cases would be diverted into the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, commonly known as LEAD. Instead of prosecutors, social workers would now take over these cases.
Officers are still allowed to make arrests when they have probable cause. But under the new guidance, those arrests no longer move through the traditional criminal justice system. They are routed away from courtrooms and into diversion programs.
Barnes made it clear the directive came from the City Attorney’s Office, operating under the authority of the newly sworn-in mayor. That detail matters. Wilson campaigned on restoring public safety. Critics say this policy sends the opposite message.
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